Japan allows beef imports from 35th US facility. Japan has decided to allow beef imports from a 35th authorised U.S. processing plant after the facility cleared checks by Japanese authorities, the farm and health ministries said on Tuesday. [News Source]

Warning system for animal diseases. World health officials have launched an early warning system to detect and control animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans. [News Source]

In Vermont, farmers buck registration efforts. A disease-tracing proposal would require farmers to disclose livestock data, raising worries about Big Brother. [News Source]

Cornell to Get Animal Disease Lab (R News) New York state will provide $50 million to help Cornell University build a new $80 million animal diagnostic center. The center will focus on such highly contagious illnesses as West Nile virus, anthrax, E.coli, avian flu, swine flu, mad cow disease and chronic wasting disease. [News Source]

Japan OKs beef from last U.S. meatpacker (Sharewatch) Tokyo announced on July 27 it would ease a ban on U.S. beef sparked by mad cow disease fears. Sales of U.S. beef resumed last week for the first time since January. [News Source]

S Korea, US near agreement on beef import (NDTV Profit) South Korea and the United States are nearing an agreement to resume imports of American beef suspended over fears of mad cow disease. "We are in the final stage of negotiations," said Park Hyun-chool of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry's livestock bureau. [News Source]

Cornell’s new lab to fight bird flu (Syracuse.com) Cornell University plans to build an $80 million laboratory that will make it the state's only facility with large diagnostic space to handle risky pathogens that cause diseases in animals such as the Asian avian flu and mad cow disease. [News Source]